Written by: Eva Resz
On Nov.7, Brock Hall’s John C. Williams Art Gallery opened its doors for the exhibition “Femininity and Fragility in Flesh,” a new showcase by senior fine arts major Diana Alarcon.
The exhibition, on display for two weeks, uses ceramic pieces to touch on the complexities of womanhood. It is Alarcon’s first solo show (a graduation requirement for all fine arts majors).
Alarcon began her first sculpture last fall, drawing inspiration from her own story and the universal experiences of womanhood. According to Alarcon, her pieces are visually inspired by classical art, including the Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque periods.
In an interview with the Accent, she described her pieces as made by a woman, for women.
“This is a woman’s show,” she said. “Feminism is a really big part of my life and, as a woman, I always want to elevate other women, and that’s what I hope to do with my art.”
“My work is a way for me to say, ‘I see you,’” she continued. “Historically, women have been objectified and consumed, and my goal is to portray the deeper layers beneath the surface, the emotional and psychological stories that we often carry but don’t show. It’s not talked about enough in a Christian setting that these are real things that every woman can go through.”
Alarcon said a recurring theme in her work is the tension between beauty and fragility.
“There’s this contradiction,” she said. “On the outside, the pieces are beautifully sculpted, flower-like and delicate, but underneath they show cracks, erosion, imperfections. That’s a reflection of what it means to carry the weight of these stories. We often present ourselves one way to the world, but we’re all hiding something beneath the surface.”
Mark Boyson, associate professor in the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD), said in an interview with the Accent that the gallery features a series of vessels exploring metaphors of the female experience. The concept of vessels as containers is personified throughout Alarcon’s pieces, according to Boyson.
Loren Howard, an SVAD professor, talked about the way Alarcon engages with the fragility of ceramics.
“Working with ceramics is never easy,” he said. “You deal with cracking, explosions and the medium’s inherent imperfections. Diana has embraced this fragility, allowing things to break or erode intentionally. It’s become part of the art, a metaphor for the themes she’s exploring.”
Alarcon said her show also touches on themes of vulnerability, particularly in the context of the Adventist community, where conversations about the complexities of womanhood, trauma and sexual objectification are often avoided.
“There’s a lot that’s not talked about in these settings. And unfortunately, that silence can leave women vulnerable to harm,” said Alarcon. “This show is my way of speaking to those who’ve been hurt. I just want to say that I support them, and as a woman, I am with you.”
Alarcon sees her work as about empowerment and resilience.
“Despite all the pain we carry, women are resilient,” she said. “We pass on our stories, our experiences, and with that, there’s the potential for healing and understanding.”
Boyson said, “Diana is using her art to ask important questions about how we view each other. It’s about recognizing both beauty and imperfection. Just like with ceramics, we’re attracted to the beauty, but you come around, and they might be cracked or there might be an imperfection. There’s that tension that we as humans have, of striving for excellence or perfection but knowing that we’re human, and there’s some imperfection about us, and then maybe being okay with all of it.”
Alarcon said she is happy about the opening of “Femininity and Fragility in Flesh.”
“I feel very accomplished being able to focus on what I really want to say about my work,” she said, “and to display it to other people is very meaningful.”
